Rapid City Metropolitan Area Continues to Grow

RAPID CITY - The Rapid City metropolitan area in western South Dakota is continuing to grow, and officials say the oil boom in western North Dakota might be a reason.

The Rapid City metro area includes the city and Pennington and Meade counties. New Census Bureau figures put the population at 138,738, up 3 percent from the 2010 census.

City planner Kip Harrington says he knows of people who are living in the area and commuting to the North Dakota oil fields. He says new businesses also are cropping up to service the oil industry in North Dakota

Harrington says Rapid City also is experiencing the same general migration of people from rural areas to urban areas that other cities across the country are experiencing.